The present invention relates to navigation systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to indoor navigation of users utilizing hand-held smart devices.
Indoor navigation or location determination has typically been performed without the guidance of the Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Reasons for this include that GPS accuracy is typically insufficient for indoor purposes, that GPS signals are often obscured indoors, and the like. Because of this, indoor navigation can be more effectively performed using dead reckoning techniques.
The inventors of the present application have determined that dead reckoning, alone, for indoor navigation may have many problems. One problem is that different users may carry their devices in different ways, e.g. purse or pocket, accordingly, dead reckoning positioning errors are expected. Another problem is that since errors in dead reckoning positioning are cumulative, as a result, substantial errors in indoor navigation positioning are likely over time.
In light of the above, improved techniques to perform indoor navigation/positioning is desired without the drawbacks described above.